The breakneck pace of life in the 21st century often requires us to be on deadline from the moment we wake up. Yet we've been using the same method of keeping time since, well, the beginning of time (as we know it, anyway).

Quadtec aims to change all that with a watch that essentially tells time backwards. We'll try to explain: Rather than focus on how much time has elapsed, as traditional clocks and watches do, the Quadtec timepiece tells you how much time you have remaining before an appointed hour or minute. You can, for instance, break down a day into 15-minute blocks, counting down the minutes to each quarter-hour. Why? The idea is to help time-management-challenged individuals stay on track better.

Frankly, our biggest fear is that someone actually gives us one. Perhaps the next version of the Quadtec should include a blood-pressure monitor as well.